The social media spaces have been buzzing after reports emerged linking the former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe to 106 properties in London, the United Kingdom (UK).
According to the report published by The Londoner, the late banking titan was ranked as the seventh-largest foreign landlord in the British capital, allegedly holding 106 luxury properties through various offshore structures.
The investigation, titled “Revealed: The billionaires who really own London,” utilized data from Tax Policy Associates to peel back the layers of offshore anonymity.
The findings suggested that the late Dr.gwe’s portfolio includes prime real estate in some of London’s most expensive districts, including Oxford Street, Canary Wharf, and Greenwich Peninsula.
The report revealed that the 106 London properties linked to Wigwe were primarily held through companies registered in tax havens like Jersey and the British Virgin Islands.
“But now, The Londoner can reveal that some 32,611 properties in London are owned by overseas entities. We can do this because a recent change in the law is forcing these foreign companies to register their real owners.
“We’ve spent the last week, using data compiled and shared with us by Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates, to go through thousands of those overseas entities to see who has bought up properties in the capital,” the report stated.
The Londoner’s findings show that a significant number of London’s most expensive buildings are owned through companies based in jurisdictions such as Jersey, where ownership details were previously opaque.
The database used by the publication was compiled from newly released disclosures by overseas owners.
The report also identified other wealthy individuals and entities whose property portfolios in London are held through overseas companies, highlighting the scale of foreign investment in the city’s real‑estate market.
Details in the investigation included ownership structures that were not previously publicly available.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Wigwe passed away in a tragic helicopter crash in the United States in February 2024 along with his wife, son, and former NGX Group chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
Before his death, Wigwe served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, one of Nigeria’s largest financial institutions.
Following his demise, his family has been involved in litigation over his estate.
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